Family first: Football strengthens bond

Posted: Monday, August 25, 2008

By Ryan Lavner

DANIELSVILLE - Before Madison County coach Randell Owens rips into his quarterback for a wayward throw or poor read, he considers the repercussions, dreading "the look" from his 16-year-old son, Jacob.

"I can translate it," Randell Owens said after a recent practice. "It's a 'Will you shut up? I've been hearing this forever' look."

But never like this.æ

Now the quarterback for the Madison County Red Raiders, Jacob Owens will make his first varsity start at Rockdale County on Friday, when the line between football and family officially becomes blurred.

Jacob has seen the dynamics of his family's working relationship shift before, when his older brother, Jarrod, played for Madison County for three seasons and when his father coached and mentored David Greene before he became one of Georgia's most prolific passers. Occasionally, Mike Bobo, Georgia's offensive coordinator and the Owens' family friend, stops by to talk football.ææ

But this is Jacob's first chance to run an offense - under his father's supervision, of course - and he's equipped with all the tools to turn Madison County, despite its inexperience, into a legitimate contender in Region 8-AAAA.

"I view it as an opportunity, and the only person I can blame is myself," Jacob said.

With a 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame and reasonable speed - he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds - the strong-armed junior will surely command the attention of area scouts this season. So, to mentally prepare his son for the season and the cutthroat recruiting process, Randell took Jacob to the Naval Academy's summer football camp.

"You've only got two years to play football," Randell told his son. "The clock is ticking and you've got to make some wise decisions. It starts now."

And it starts on offense. Jacob no longer has to back up senior Spencer Baird, who will split time at wide receiver, quarterback and slot back. A year ago, Jacob went undefeated with the JV team, playing two or three quarters a game at that level and spot duty with the varsity squad, per high school rules.

"I feel more comfortable," said Jacob, who will turn 17 at the end of the month. "I knew that every time I screwed up (last year), I was coming out. Now I can focus on making plays and winning games."

Because of Jacob's wide frame and natural athleticism, Madison County coaches said they won't hesitate to insert him at linebacker, a position he had never played until this season.

"He's good enough to be our starting linebacker," defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Mike Haynes said of Jacob, who will likely play half the snaps on defense and be used primarily as an outside linebacker.

As with any first-year starter, there are obvious areas for improvement, especially on offense. Jacob can be slow going through his read progressions. He sometimes throws off his back foot, or doesn't follow through.

But he has been able to shore up his mechanics because of unprecedented access, the kind only a coach's son can get.

"[Playing for my father] has its benefits," Jacob said.

After spending six hours at weight-training class and practice, Jacob and his father are often stuck at school until about 10 p.m. So, after he finishes his homework, Jacob sits and digests film for hours, studying highlights and game tapes.

And then there's the hour-long ride back home to Monroe. Jacob considers that the drawback.

"The whole ride home I have to listen to the mistakes I made," Jacob said. "But it's better for me because he pushes me to work harder than everyone else."

Randell defers much of the instruction to his assistant coaches, Haynes and Chris Smith, the quarterbacks coach. Otherwise, things can get personal.

During a recent preseason practice, when the quarterbacks and receivers were working on shallow crossing routes, the coach was barking plays from the sideline. Annoyed with his father's repetitiveness, Jacob flashed him "the look."

"He got ticked off, and I thought about it, and what I did was uncalled for," Randell said. "He knows it. I took a step back. Sometimes I make it a military practice and I can be irrational."

Even Randell admitted that this unique situation is somewhat challenging. But it is also a special opportunity for both he and his family, two years after his oldest son played at Madison County.

"It's got to be hard to be the coach's kid. It gets personal with him," Randell said. "But it has been very rewarding. I don't know how many dads get eight hours a day with their kid."